


The Gala

by WarriorFoxtail



Category: Let's Play (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Formal Gala, Learning to Dance, business formal, tender moments, thank you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarriorFoxtail/pseuds/WarriorFoxtail
Summary: Charles takes Sam to her first business gala where, despite her trepidation, she finds she has a wonderful time
Relationships: Charles Jones/Sam Young (Let's Play)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 58





	The Gala

“Are you ready, Miss Young?” Charles called towards the bathroom as he adjusted his  [ bowtie ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508132770457251322/) in the mirror on the wall.

“I don’t know about this, Charles,” came Sam’s timid voice through the door. “I feel ridiculous.”

Charles turned towards the closed door, a small smile on his face. “Nonsense, I’m sure you look lovely.”

“I don’t know if  [ this ](https://static.artfire.com/uploads/mfs/items/55/20/large/55206f77ed031c84551ceca10119371b61bde912697ae96a7bfa70252893a306.jpg) really suits me. And it looks so expensive for just one event.”

“I already told you, Miss Young, we’re only renting them temporarily for the gala,” Charles reminded her with a soft laugh. “And I am confident that it suits you perfectly.”

There was silence from the bathroom for a moment, before the door cracked open a little and Sam peeked out. “Uh... um,” she stammered. “I-I’m sorry, but... I... I can’t reach the zipper on the back. Could you, um... Could you help me, please?” The pink on her cheeks only worsened as she spoke.

Charles smiled softly. “Of course.” The small smile shifted to a small smirk when she didn’t move right away. “Unless you intend for me to come into the restroom with you, perhaps it would be easier if you came out here.”

“O-oh! R-right...” Sam exclaimed with a nervous laugh. “S-silly me.” Keeping her eyes glued to her feet she slowly pulled the door open more, and hesitantly stepped out. Her face felt hot and her arms instinctively moved around herself.

“Turn,” Charles instructed gently.

Trying to calm her racing pulse, Sam obeyed. She flinched slightly when she felt his fingers graze her exposed back as they pulled the zipper up.

“There you are,” Charles said, once the zipper was in place.

“Thanks,” Sam stammered. For a moment, there was silence. Sam almost couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes, until he spoke.

“You look lovely, Miss Young.”

If her cheeks could turn any redder they probably would have. She dared to glance up at Charles. Seeing his sweet smile only served to weaken her knees more. “Th-thank you. Y-you look nice, too,” she managed shyly.

He dipped his head once, his smile never faltering. “Thank you.” He cast a quick glance at the clock on the wall. “We should head out now, or else we’ll be late.”

Sam looked up and nodded. “Right.” She picked up her jacket and a small handbag. “Ready.”

“After you, Miss Young,” Charles said, holding the door open for her.

“Thanks,” Sam replied with a timid smile. As she passed him she could’ve sworn she saw the tiniest tint of pink on his cheeks.  _ No, of course not. That’s ridiculous…  _ she thought. _ Right? _

The grand ballroom where the gala was being held was bigger than any building Sam had ever seen. The ceiling towered above her, supported by tall marble pillars. An exquisite looking chandelier hung from the center, sending sparking light to all corners of the room. If it weren’t for the daunting size, she might’ve been swept away in the beauty and grandeur.

“Miss Young,” Charles spoke beside her.

“Y-yes?”

“Do try to stay close,” he said with a light-hearted chuckle.

“Right,” she said with a tiny nod. No way she’d be leaving his side in a place this crowded. And with so many strangers around, she’ll need someone familiar nearby to stay sane.

Much of the beginning of the evening was spent going around and mingling with some business person or other. Sam piped in with a comment or two every now and again, but Charles did most of the talking.

As she watched him talk with a well known businessman, she found her thoughts beginning to wander. She saw how tall and proud he stood; listened to the way he spoke with polite aloofness. She couldn’t help but feel a little envious at how good he was at it. He had a way of catching people’s attention and making them want to listen. What was it like, she wondered. Having such confidence and charisma?  _ Maybe I’ll never know, _ she thought with a tiny sigh.

As the evening wore on, Sam was beginning to grow tired of all the meet and greets. There was only so much social interaction with strangers and business talk she could stomach before she needed a break. She decided to take a seat on one of the benches off to the side of the room to rest her feet for a bit. Despite the heels being pretty small, she wasn’t used to being on them for long periods of time.

“Shall I fetch you something to drink, Miss Young?” Charles asked, as she sat down.

“Oh, uh... Water is fine, I guess,” she said with a grateful smile.

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks, Charles,” Sam called as he left to get the water for her.

It felt nice to finally be able to rest her feet, and for a moment, she was content to just watch the party continue on. People mingled here and there. Some held drinks in their hands, while others held tiny plates of finger foods. There were even a few people dancing to the elegant classical music that played over the speakers. Somewhere deep down, a part of her longed to join in, but she had never danced like that before. Hell, she had never really danced before... And God forbid she make a fool of herself in front of so many people.

As she continued to watch the people meander about, a voice drew her attention.

“And what’s a pretty thing like you doing sitting alone?”

Sam turned to come face to face with a man standing a tad too close for comfort. “U-um... I’m w-waiting for someone,” she stammered, trying to swallow the anxious feeling in her gut. He looked to be maybe a couple years older than her, and it was evident he didn’t quite grasp the concept of personal space.

“Oh, well, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind too much if I stole you away for a dance?” he asked in what he must have thought was a suave manner.

“O-oh uh... I-I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t... r-really dance...”

“Aww, there’s no need to be shy. I’m sure you’d be great at it!” He’d sat down on the bench next to her, and now he inched closer to her. She tried to fight down the tightness in her chest.

“S-sir, please. I a-already told you, I’m n-not interested,” she said firmly, though it still sounded weaker than she would’ve liked.

Seems he couldn’t quite grasp the concept of ‘no means no’ either. “You sure you couldn’t spare just a little time for-“

“Forgive me for interrupting, but I believe the lady told you she wasn’t interested.”

Charles had intended to make the trip to the drink table fairly swift. He hadn’t expected to get stopped by a businessman and his wife for a short chat. But he was a gentleman, and politely answered the questions they had for him. Finally, he managed to excuse himself, and quickly made his way to the table.

Now, with two small water glasses in hand, he moved towards where Miss Young sat. But when he saw a man edging towards her on the bench, he froze for a moment. He recognized the young man as the new hire for one of the more well known business men in attendance. A skilled man with a promising future ahead of him according to his superior. Though it seems he needed a lesson in proper etiquette when with a lady.

Noticing how she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and the odd twist in his stomach, he glided forward with smooth confident strides. As he approached, he caught the tail end of their conversation.

“-a-already told you, I’m n-not interested.”

Despite the shakiness of her voice, he couldn’t help the small swell of pride in his chest at her for trying. But then the young man pressed further.

“You sure you couldn’t spare just a little time for-“

By now, Charles had heard enough. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I believe the lady told you she wasn’t interested,” he said cooly, though his voice was firm and full of authority.

The man spun around at the sound of the new voice and almost gulped at seeing Charles’ intimidatingly tall figure. “R-right. M-my apologies,” he muttered before standing and disappearing into the crowd.

Charles watched as he vanished into the mass of people, then turned to check on Sam. “Are you alright, Miss Young?”

“Y-yeah. Thank you. He didn’t seem to want to leave me alone.”

“He didn’t harm you at all?”

“No no!” she assured him quickly. “I’m alright. He just... kept bugging me to dance with him.”

Charles hummed softly. “Perhaps I should have a word with his superior. That kind of behavior is unacceptable in a place like this.”

“Charles, it’s ok. Really. It’s no big deal. I just got a little flustered is all. I don’t want for anyone to get in trouble. And besides, you came to my rescue just in time.”

Charles turned to her, a small smile pulling at his lips as he handed her one of the water glasses. “Yes, I did. Though you seemed to do a fine job of standing up for yourself.”

“Yeah right,” she scoffed softly, taking a small sip and looking at her feet. “I was stuttering and stumbling all over my words.”

“Perhaps. But you still tried. However small a step it may have been, it was a step nonetheless.”

At that, Sam’s face flushed pink. She glanced up at him, and the proud smile on his lips made her knees wobble. She was suddenly thankful she was still seated. His smile seemed contagious as she felt her own lips curl up a little as well.

For the rest of the evening, Sam stuck close to Charles. Anyone else who would have approached her was quickly turned away with a single warning look from Charles. Though she did pity the poor few who were on the receiving end of his glare, she was nevertheless grateful for the protection.

The night was going pretty smoothly. Then Charles tapped her on the shoulder.

Few people tried to approach Miss Young for anything other than business talk for the rest of the evening. Anytime she started looking the slightest bit uncomfortable, Charles easily diverted the person’s attention away from her. But all throughout the evening, Charles noticed the man from earlier. He would linger nearby with his eyes trained on Miss Young. And Charles did not like it one bit. Miss Young seemed blissfully unaware of the attention and he decided to keep it that way. He didn’t want to aggravate her anxiety by telling her she was being watched. But no matter what Charles did, the man would not leave them alone. Charles was most definitely going to have a word with that man’s superior. Just because he came from a wealthy family and had a promising future, did not give him the right to act so entitled.

For a while, Charles was able to tolerate keeping an eye on him from a distance. Then his arrogance must have gotten the better of him, because he started to approach them again. Charles had to admire his boldness for trying to approach while he was still with her. But now he’d had enough.

Thinking quickly, he lightly tapped her shoulder. “Pardon me, Miss Young,” he gently took her hand in his and pressed a delicate kiss to her knuckles, “but would you care to dance?”

Sam stood frozen for a moment. Her cheeks were bright red from the kiss and for a second, she couldn’t breathe. “Oh um... uh... I-I’m... not really any good at it,” she stuttered.

Charles couldn’t help but revel in the shy tremble in her voice. Was it bad he found it so enticingly endearing? He met her eyes with a sweet smile. “Then allow me to guide you, Miss Young.

As if under a spell, Sam bit her lip and nodded once. “A-alright.”

She hesitantly followed Charles out onto the floor, thankful that there were other couples dancing as well and that Charles had chosen a spot off to the side. At least that way the attention wouldn’t be all on them. Having no idea what to do next, she looked at Charles for instructions.

With a small smile, he took her left hand in his and gently guided it to his shoulder. “Place your left hand here,” he instructed softly. “And your right,” he guided her hand into position to the side, “goes here like so.”

“Ok,” Sam nodded shakily. “W-what next?” She gasped softly, when his right hand rested on her waist. A soft squeak escaped her when he gently tugged her forward against his chest.

“You’ll need to be a little closer, Miss Young.”

“R-right.” She took a breath to compose herself. “So... what do I do now?”

“Follow my lead. Ready?” he asked.

“A-as I’ll ever be...” she stammered.

“You will begin with your right foot. As I step forward, you step back.” As he stepped forward with his left foot, Sam stepped back with her right. “Good. Now your left foot follows back and to the side.” She stepped back with her left as he stepped forward with his right.

“Like that?” she asked.

“Perfect,” Charles said with a smile. “Now, your right foot slides to meet your left, then we reverse the process. You’ll step forward with your left foot, and I’ll step back with my right. Ready?”

Feeling a little more confident, Sam nodded. “Ready.”

“Here we go. Left,” they moved in sync to the first position, “right,” they stepped together again, “together.” Once their feet were in the same place they started, Sam looked up at Charles nervously.

“H-how was that?” she asked anxiously.

Charles smiled proudly. “Wonderful, Miss Young. You’re a quick learner.”

Sam looked at her feet shyly, a silly grin tugging at her lips. “I-I wasn’t that great,” she muttered.

“On the contrary, Miss Young. I think you’re ready to try it for real.”

Sam’s eyes widened at that. “Y-you’re not serious, are you?” she asked nervously. “I don’t know, Charles. I just don’t think I’m good enough yet,” she said, looking at her feet.

“Miss Young, you have more talent than you realize. We can stick to the basics if you prefer. And I’ll be there to guide you the whole way.” He gingerly tilted her chin up so he could meet her eyes. “Trust me, and I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully.”

Sam searched his piercing blue eyes for a moment, but all she found was the gentle warmth she had grown so accustomed to these past few weeks.  _ Trust him, _ he said. She gave a tiny nod. “Ok. I trust you.”

She followed as he guided her more towards the center of the floor. There were still other couples dancing, which did help to calm some of her nerves. Deciding not to worry about that, she focused all her attention on the man in front of her. She bit her lip a little as he guided her hands into position.

“Follow my lead,” he instructed softly.

Sam nodded, counting in her head as he began to lead her around the floor. Her eyes kept wanting to drift to her feet. She bit her lip as she tried to focus. Then her foot came down on Charles’ toes. She flushed in embarrassment. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Charles!” she apologized quickly.

It stung for only a moment, but then he smiled sweetly at Sam. “It’s quite alright, Miss Young. No need to worry. Though, a word of advice,” he gently tilted her chin up to meet her eyes. “it’s better if you focus on your partner rather than your feet.”

Sam blushed, but couldn’t look away from his eyes. It was as if he’d cast a spell on her. “R-right.”

“Shall we try again?” he asked, starting to reposition his hands.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

Charles smiled. “Very well. Whenever you’re ready, Miss Young.”

“Ready.” This time, she focused on Charles. His smile was her encouragement and the warmth of his hand holding hers was her support. The music seemed to seep into her body, guiding them along. In the back of her mind she listened to some of the lyrics.

_ So close to reaching that famous happy ending _

_ Almost believing this one’s not pretend and _

_ Now you’re beside me and look how far we’ve come _

_ So far _

_ We are so close _

Pink dusted her cheeks when she realized it was a love song. But right now, she couldn’t care less. All that mattered was being able to dance with Charles. As the music began to swell, Charles led her all around the floor. He even threw in a couple spins. Sam wasn’t sure what shocked her more, the spins or the fact that she pulled them off without tripping.

There was a lull in the music for a moment, and Charles guided her closer to him than ever. Sam blushed at the proximity but still couldn’t bring herself to look away. Then he leaned in close to her ear.

“You are a natural, Miss Young,” he whispered.

Sam’s ears burned and her eyes were wide. As the music picked up again Charles flashed her the quickest smirk, before they were once again lost in the music.

Sam hadn’t been sure how much she’d enjoy ballroom dancing, but with Charles, she loved every minute of it. He made it fun, and made little necessary changes to accommodate for her asthma. When the song came to a close and the dance finished, she almost wished they could keep going. Though it hadn’t taxed her enough to need her inhaler, she knew she’d need a break for a bit before going again. She was a little out of breath, but the dance had exhilarated her, and she couldn’t keep a smile from her face.

“Are you alright, Miss Young?” Charles checked.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m ok,” she assured him. “I’ll probably need a break for a bit, but that was a lot of fun.”

Charles smiled at that. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. You really do have a talent for it.”

Sam flushed, peeking up at him through her lashes. “Y-you really think so?” Her pulse faltered and her blush worsened when his slender fingers gently tucked a loose lock of hair back behind her ear.

“I do,” he said softly.

Later that evening, Charles and Sam were called for a few more meet and greets. Sam made it about three quarters of the way through the last meeting before she politely excused herself to the drink table to grab a glass of water. Charles however, wasn’t very keen on leaving her alone. The young man from before wasn’t in immediate view and that worried him.

Despite his concern for Miss Young, he knew he’d have to stay and finish the meeting. He kept an eye and ear open and gently tried to speed the conversation along.

About 10 minutes later, the conversation came to a close. Charles gave a polite nod and bid the men goodbye. Then his eyes immediately did a sweep of the ballroom for Miss Young. She wasn’t at the drink table, and she hadn’t returned to the group. At the back of his mind he worried the young man had attempted to make a move on her again, but some of the tension relaxed when he saw the man standing with his superior. Miss Young wasn’t with him. Good.

He walked along the perimeter of the ballroom, watching for a glimpse of purple. As he passed the glass doors leading out to the balcony, he glanced outside out of reflex and paused. There she stood, leaning against the stone banister gazing at the stars.

“There you are, Miss Young.”

Sam turned at the voice. She smiled. “Oh, hey Charles. I’m sorry for leaving you to deal with the meeting, but it was just getting really cramped in there.”

“It’s quite alright, Miss Young. You stayed as long as you could. And admittedly, it was getting rather stuffy,” Charles said with a small smile.

Sam turned her eyes back towards the star studded sky. It was so clear tonight. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen stars so bright before,” she mused.

“It is quite lovely, isn’t it?” His gaze drifted from the stars to her. He noticed how her arms wrapped around herself and the minuscule tremble in her hands. Despite the warmth of the evening, there was a bit of a breeze tonight.

Sam’s attention was pulled from the sky when she felt something gently drape over her shoulders. She glanced over at Charles and saw that he’d given her his tux jacket. “Charles, you really don’t have to give me your jacket,” she tried to refuse.

“Please, Miss Young. I insist. I would not forgive myself if you were to catch a cold.”

Sam thought for a moment. Though she still wasn’t sure how she felt about such treatment, she couldn’t argue there. “Well... I suppose, as long as you don’t mind...” she mumbled, peeking up at him.

Charles flashed her a charming smile, “Not at all.”

Sam pulled the jacket farther around her shoulders. The smell of his cologne drifted past her nose and she was reminded of the lunch where he’d done the same thing for her. She smiled at the memory. It felt so long ago, though it had only been about a month or so. So much had changed since then it seems. Just then a thought came to her.

“Charles?” she asked softly.

“Hmm?” he hummed, his eyes still turned skyward.

“I... I don’t think I ever properly thanked you.”

At that, he turned to look at her. “Thank me? Whatever for?”

Sam shrugged. “Well... everything, I suppose.” She looked up at him with a small smile. “For listening to my worries about being CEO; for helping me get promoted to your assistant; for teaching me about business; even for pushing me to be more confident. You’ve helped me grow in ways I never knew I could, and you didn’t have to do any of that for me. So... thank you.”

At hearing her words, Charles couldn’t help but recall that day at the clinic. She had stood up for him against her brother. Everyone around her, even her own flesh and blood had shown him nothing but coldness and distrust, but she... She was willing to give him a chance; a chance to show her who he really was. God, how long had it been since someone had given him that chance? He smiled tenderly.

“There is no need to thank me, Miss Young. I’m always happy to help you however I can.”

“Still, I’m grateful. You’ve been so kind to me.”

Suddenly, Charles became serious. Sam’s cheeks flushed when he turned fully to face her and took a small step towards her. She jolted slightly when his fingers gently tucked her hair behind her ears. His hands trailed down her jawline then delicately tilted her head up. She stared into his eyes; they were a bright electric blue in the light of the moon. Before she could say a word, he leaned forward and pressed the softest kiss to her forehead.

Her stomach erupted with butterflies. Her heartbeat skipped and raced and flipped in her chest. Out of reflex, her eyes drifted shut. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the memory of Link’s kiss surfaced, but this... This was something entirely different.

Charles was so gentle and tender with her. He cradled her head with the lightest touch, as if any firmer a grip would break her. His lips connected just below her hairline, sending warm fuzzies from that spot all the way down to her toes. His thumbs caressed her cheeks with a feather light touch. The smell of his cologne enveloped her in a sweet smelling embrace. Then he slowly pulled away.

The kiss had lasted maybe three or four seconds at most, but Sam was suddenly soaring on cloud nine. Her eyes fluttered open and she met his intense gaze head on. There was an emotion there, deeply hidden, but wanting to bubble to the surface. Whatever it was, she couldn’t read it.

“It is I, Miss Young, who should be thanking you,” he whispered in a voice only she was meant to hear. “You have shown me more kindness than I have known for a long time. And I am, and forever will be, eternally grateful to you.”

Sam couldn’t find her words for a moment. “Charles...” she breathed. He abruptly pulled away from her. She found herself missing his warmth. The strange emotion in his eyes was once again hidden, but his smile remained ever-present and gentle.

“It is getting late. We best be heading off, if we hope to get enough sleep for the meeting tomorrow morning,” he said.

“R-right,” Sam stammered, hooking her arm into the elbow he offered her.

As they bid the few remaining party members goodbye and made their way back out to his car, Sam thought about what he’d said.

_ “You have shown me more kindness than I have known for a long time.” _

It seemed like there was some deeper meaning to what he said, but for right now, she didn’t have the energy, nor the mental stability after that kiss, to think about it more. She peeked over at Charles as he started the car and eased out of the parking spot. Whatever the reason, something felt different between them now. And by the light floaty feeling in her chest, she guessed it was a change for the better.


End file.
